Centrifugal gun.



A. E. BROWN.

CENTRIFUGAL GUN,

APPLICATION FILED Nov. 28. 1916.

A. E. BROWN.

CENTRIFUGAL GUN.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. 28, 191e.

Patented Sept. 25, 1917.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

" ATTORNEYS A. E. BROWN.

CENTRIFUGAL GUN.

APPLICATION FILED Nov.'28. 19H5.

Patented Sept. 25, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

W/T/VSSES :I I jf Bang o MY/WQWOZML l if Q maman srarns narrante armen.

Ali CHIE EDWARDS BROWN, OF EL PASO, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-EIGHTH TO GEORGE DANIEL FLORY, ONE-EIGHTH TO CHARLES DAVIS, AND ONE-TENTH T CHARLES NEBEKER '.BASSETT, ALL 0F EL PASO, TEXAS.

CENTRIFUGAL GUN.

Spveccation of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 25, 1917.

Application filed November 28, 1916. Serial No. 133,903.

of El Paso, in the county of `El Paso and State of Texas, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Centrifugal Guns, of'which the following is a specica- My invention is an improvement in centrifugal guns, and has for its object to provide a device of the character specied, whereina Xed barrel is provided and a rotating discharge and feeding vmember adapted to be rotated rapidly and carrying 'the balls which are fed to the barrel and discharged forcibly therefrom one `by one, and wherein the gun is so arranged that the balls may be ired in any desired direction. y

In the drawings: y

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved gun.

Figs. 2 and 3 are sections on the lines 2 2 and 3 3 of Fig. 1, each view looking in the direction of the arrows adjacent to the lines;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view with the upper plate removed;

Figs. 5A and 6 are similar views the parts in other positions;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the disshowing charge mechanism;

Figs. 8 and 9 are sections on the lines- 8 8 and 9 9 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 10 is a section on the line 10 10 of Fig. 7, and

Fig. 11 is a sectional view of a modified construction.

1n the present embodiment of the invern, tion, a base 1 is provided and upon the base is mounted to rotate on a vertical axis a yoke-shaped bracket consisting of a body 2 which is journaled in the base, and upwardly and outwardly extending arms 3, each of which is provided at its upper end with a bearing `4. The body 2 of the yoke has a stem 5 which is passed through an opening in the topi of the base and is en gaged by a nut 6 below the base, and a ball bearing 7 is arranged between the body and base.

A supporting frame is mounted in the bracket, the said frame consisting of four arms 8 extending upwardly and outwardly mg the same.

and spaced apart at angular intervals of 90, and the said arms are connected at their upper ends by cross braces 9.V

A suitable motor 10 is arranged Within the frame, the casing of the motor being connected to the frame by integral connections 11, and the motor shaft 12 is mounted at the center of the frame and in vertical position in ball bearings in the lower portion of the frame and in the cross braces 9. At its upper end opposite arms of the frame have outwardly extending journal pins 13, and the said pins are journaled in the bearings 4 before mentioned.

At its lower end on the arms not provided with the journal pins 13, the frame has a series of rack teeth 14 which are engaged by a pinion 15 on the shaft 16 journaled at the ]unction of the body and arms of the i bracket, and the shaft has a hand wheel 17 at its outer end for convenience in turn- By means of the shaft the motor shaft may be inclined in either direction, and by turning the bracket 2 3 on the base, this inclination may be in any direction.

A ring 18 is integral with the arms 8 at their upper ends, and above the cross bracethereto by means of bolts and nuts 2O which are countersunk in the rings. lit will be noticed from an inspection of Fig. 1 that the rings 1'8 and 19 have spacing lugs 21 on their adjacent faces, the said lugs abutting to space the rings, and between the rings at one side is the barrel or discharge opening 22, the Vsaid opening being substantially tangential to the inner surface of the rings.

The rotating member consists of a lower disk 23 and an upper disk 24, which are secured in spaced relation by means of bolts 25 and arbors 26, the lower disk having a hub 27 which is secured to the upper end of the motor shaft 12. Amagazine is-formed between the disks atl the center thereof. rThe said magazine is formed by depressing the upper face of the lower disk asindicated at 28 and providing an upwardly extending chamber 29 in the upper disk, and the chamber wall has a central opening 30 throu h which the balls are fed into the chamber, y mechanism to be later described. F rom the chamber a spiral passage 31 leads to the periphery of the rotating member, the said passage being formed VAby grooving the adjacent walls of the upper and lower disks. This passage is of a size to permit the passage of a single ball, that is, of size to constrain the balls 32 to move one behind the other as they move from the magazine to the periphery of the disk.

Near the periphery the passage bends abruptly radially as shown in Figs. 4, 5, and 6, and at the bending of the said radial portion of the passage the upper and lower disks 23 and 24- have extensions 33, 33a and 34, 34a. The extensions 34-34a are in front of the radial portion of the passage while the extensions 33, 33L are behind the opening, and these extensions extend into the space between the disks and rings and are of a length to extend across this space an'd slightly into the space between the rings. The said rings, as shown in Figs. 8 and 9, are spaced farther apart than are the disks 23 and 24. Each of the extensions 33 and 33a has a reduced outwardly extending lug 35 and 35a respectively, which move at all times between the rings 18 and 19, as sho'wn in Fig. 8.

At the'commencement or inner end of the barrel 22, the rings 18 and 19 have cam lingers 36 which are adapted to extend between that ball which is between the extensions 33, 33a and 34, 34a and the ball that is yet in the radial portion of the passage 3l to separate these balls and constrain the first mentioned ball to enter the barrel from which it is discharged by centrifugal motion imparted to it by the rotating disks.

The balls are fed into the magazine by the mechanism shown more particularly in Figs. 1 and 2. This mechanism comprises an elbow 37 supported from the ring 19 by a Y- shaped bracket 38 whose body is secured to the ring 19 and whose arms are secured to the horizontal portion of the elbow. The vertical portion of the elbow fits into the opening 30.

A feed hopper 39 is arranged at the outer end of the elbow, the said hopper having van outlet 40 which extends loosely into the end of the elbow, and it will be evident that when theballs 32 are fed into the hopper, they will be delivered by the elbow to the magazine.

A collar 41 encircles the elbow near its outer end, a ball bearing being arranged between the collar and the elbow, and the collar is rigidly connected to the hopper as indicated at 42, and has a depending fork 43 which iS engaged by a crank 44 onrnaled in the adjacent arm. This crank is provided at its inner end with a fork 47 whose arms embrace opposite sides of the adjacent arm 8. An arm 45 extends from the elbow to the outer sides of the hopper, and this arm has a bearing in which is mounted a journal pin 46 on the hopper. The hopper is thus journaled on the elbow and on the journal pin, and it will be evident that when the motor shaft is tilted in any direction the feed hopper` will be caused to maintain a vertical position by the engagement between the fork and the crank shaft.

In operation, the magazine being provided with balls and the motor running, it will be evident that, at each complete revolution of the rotating member, consisting of the disks 23 and 24, a ball will be discharged through the barrel, the number of balls discharged per minute being dependent upon the number of revolutions per minute of the motor shaft.

In order to aim the gun the motor shaft is tilted to discharge the balls high or low, and since the entire upper portion may be rotated upon the base, it will be evident that the balls may be discharged in any direction desired. The open spaces between the disks and between the rings, and between the rings and the disks, provide for a free circulation of air to prevent heating and it will be obvious that were this not sufficient, water might be fed with the balls.

A very powerful leverage is obtained with the shaft 16, because of the relatively small size of the pinion and the circle upon which the rack teeth are arranged. This is for the purpose of overcoming the tendency to resist turning, due to the gyroscopic action of the rotating member.

Referring to Figs. 4, 5, and 6, it will be noticed that the upper deiecting finger 36 is yieldingly mounted, being sprmg pressed upwardly by a spring 48. The bolts 2O be'- tween the elements 18 and 19 are set back far enough to permit the members 35 to pass. The upper cam finger 36 has a greater extension than the lower, and this finger, if struck on its side by a ball will not move, but if struck on the point will fly up and back, giving the passing ball sufficient time to pass before it reaches the ridged portion.

In Fig. 11 is shown a modified construc tion, for attaining increased speed of the rotor. In this construction an internal gear 50 is secured to the motorshaft 53, and the said gear meshes with pinions 51 which are journaled'on stub shafts 52 at opposite sides of the motor shaft 53. These pinions 51 mesh with a pinion 54 on the shaft 55 which is journaled in alinement with the motor in the bracket to swing on anaxis transverse to the base, a motor in connection with the support and having its shaft at the center thereof, and arranged in vertical position, a pair of superposed rings connected with the support at the top thereof and spaced apart from each other, a pair of disks secured together in spaced relation and connected to the shaft of the motor to rotate therewith, said disks having a central magazine between the same, and a spiral passage leading from the magazine to the periphery of the disks and opening at the periphery with a portion radial tothe disks, said disks having extensions at opposite sides of the said opening extending across the space between the rings and the disks, the rearmos't extensions havin reduced portions moving between the rings, said rings having coacting grooves tangential to the disks and forming a barrel, and having delecting fingers -at the inner end of the barrel for engaging between a ball between the extensions of the disks and a ball in the radial portion of the passage, and means for feeding balls to the magazine, said feeding means comprising an elbow connected with the ring andhaving a depending portion extending into the magazine, a hopper having a chute fitting loosely into the outer end of the elbow, and a connection between the hopper` and the support for swinging the hopper in the opposite direction to the swinging of the support; Y

2. A centrifugal gun comprising a base, a bracket mounted to rotate on a vertical axis on the base, a motor shaft journaled in the bracket to swing on an' axis transverse to the base, a motor connected with the support and having its shaft at the'center thereof and arranged in vertical position,4 a pair y of superposed rings connected with the support at the top thereof and spaced apart from each other, a pair of disks secured together. in spaced relation and connected to the shaft of the motor, to rotate therewith, said disks having a magazine between the same, and a spiral passage leading from the magazine to the periphery` of the disks and opening at the periphery with a portion radial to the disks, said disks having extensions at opposite sides of the said opening extending across the space between the rings and the disks, the rearmost extensions havin'greduced portions moving between the rings, vsaid rings having coacting grooves tangential to the disks forming a. barrel, and having deiecting fingers at the vinner end of the barrel for engaging between a ball transverse to the shaft of the motor, a base on which the bracket is mounted to swing on a vertical axis, a rotatable member connected with the motor shaft and arranged to rotate within the ring and spaced apart from the ring, said-rotatable member having a central magazine and a spiral passage, and the ring having a passage tangential. to the periphery of the rotatable member, said rotatable member having extensions at Vopposite sides of the outlet of the spiral passage and extending across the space between the ring and the rotatable member, the rotatable member having deiiecting iingersfor engaging a ball held between the extensions,

4. A. centrifugal gun comprising a base, a bracket rotatable on the base, a motor support mounted to swing on the bracket and carrying-a. motor, a rotating member secured to the motor shaft and having a central magazine and a spiral passage leading from the magazine to the periphery of the member, the support carrying a Vring encircling the rotating member and having a bore substantially tangential to the said member, said rotating member having means at the opposite sides of the outlet of the passage for holding a ball between the ring and thevmember, and the ring having means for detlecting a ball so held into the bore, and means for swinging the support on the bracket.,

5. A centrifugal gun comprising a base, a

`bracket rotatable on the base, a motor support mounted to swing on the bracket and carrying a motor, a rotating member secured to the motor shaft and having a central magazine and a spiral passageV leading from the magazine to the periphery of the member, `the sup ort carrying a ring encircling -the rotating member and having a bore tangential to the said member, and means in connection with the ring and the rotating member for guiding a ball into the bore at each complete revolution of the member, said passage and bore having openings to permit the circulation of air, and means for feeding the balls to the magazine.

6. A centrifugal gun comprising a base, a bracket rotatable on the base, a motor support mounted to swing on the bracket and carrying a motor, a rotating `member secured to the motor shaftand having a central magazine and a spiral passage leading from the magazine to the periphery of the member, the support carrying a ring encircling the rotating member and having a bore substantially tangential to the said member, and means in connection with the ring and the rotating member for guiding a ball into the bore ateach complete revolution of the member,1

7. A centrifugal `gun comprising a support carrying a motor, a rotating member secured to the motor shaft and having a central magazine and a spiral passage leading from the magazine to the peripherj,7 of the member, the support carrying a ring encircling the rotating member, said ring having a bore substantially tangential to the rotating member, and means in connection with the rotating member and the ring for deflecting a ball from the passage to the,

bore at each complete revolution of the rotatable member, said passage and bore hav. ing an' passages, and means for feeding balls to the magazine.

S. A centrifugal gun comprising a support carrying a motor, a rotatable member secured to the motor shaft and having a central magazine and a spiral passage leading from the magazine to the periphery-of the i member, and the support carrying a ring encircling the rotatable member, said ring having a bore substantially tangential t0 the rotatable member, and means in connection with the rotatable member and the ring for deiecting a ball from the passage to the bore at each complete revolution of the 1'0- tatable member.

ARCHIE EDVARDS BROWN.

WVitness:

U. S. MonN. i 

